Acute cold wave freezes schools

The Delhi government, ordered the closure of pre-primary and primary sections in schools till Saturday. The decision is meant to provide relief to children.

The Delhi government on Tuesday ordered the closure of pre-primary and primary sections in schools till Saturday.

The decision is meant to provide relief to children in the Capital which is reeling under an intense cold wave. With the temperature in the city dropping close to freezing point, the government ordered that pre-primary and primary sections of all government and aided schools under the Directorate of Education, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and Delhi Cantonment Board be closed for the rest of the week.

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The Directorate of Education has also sent an advisory to all private schools that they may keep the pre-primary and primary sections closed.

"We have taken the decision to close schools till Saturday as children are the worst affected in such harsh weather conditions," Education Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely said. However, most private schools in Delhi have decided to remain open.

"We will remain open as usual and if in the middle of the week, the temperature falls further, we may think of closing the school for a day or two," said Madhulika Sen, Principal, Tagore International. Principal of Sanskriti School, Gauri Ishwaram, said only nursery classes in her school will be closed for the rest of the week.

All branches of the Delhi Public School will also remain open, a spokesperson for the school said. Some other public schools have changed their timings to protect the kids from the bitter cold in the morning.

Schools in the Capital had reopened on Monday after the winter break. The day saw the temperature drop to 2.6 degree Celsius, the lowest so far. The minimum temperature in Delhi was 3.2 degree Celsius on Tuesday but it was still a relief from the 2.6 degree Celsius registered a few days back in the Capital.